i've read about pure land and am interested. i read a practice manual on it and a few articles, all i ever hear though is that they chant "amitabha" at all times and want to be reborn in his pure land. i know there MUST be more to it than that. what other practices are there?

Pure Land practioners believe in the existence of a pure place created by Amitabha Buddha. This is a place perfect for achieving Nirvana. Once reached its certain that you will achieve it - at you own pace - and its completly impossible to ever return to samsara (ie, the existence with suffering, be it in the human form, animal, ghost, etc).

Amitabha will rescue any being to his Pure Land at the time of death if that being/person strongly wish to reborn there.

This is where recitation comes in: in order to achieve this conection between you and Amitabha you must recitate with a strong mind. When doing recitation your attention must go to the words themselves and to Amitabha. It is said that this will remove thousands of karmic obstacles and will make you closer to Amitabha. Its like a child calling for his mother.

So, the main practice is that: do single minded recitation. The practice will include also Vows: you will vow for being reborn on Pure Land right after this life. For vowing you can say something like "I, [say your complete name] vow for reborn on the Pure Land of Amitabha after my life reach an end. I wish to reborn there in order to be free from suffering once for all and in order to help other beings achieving the same objective."

Ideally one should do recitation all the day, even while doing normal stuff like eating, going to wc, etc. That practice would be great because you would: 1) train your mind (being with mind pointed to the mantra itself is a way to learn concentration and a way to get the same benefits from meditation), 2) not be thinking because youwere doing recitation and while not thinking you would be not devloping lust or greed toughts and so you wouldnt being developing bad karma; 3) get closer to Amitabha and increasing the chances to reborn on pure land (this is the best benefit i think) and 4) you would get other "mystical" benefits related to that recitation, like getting the protection from gods and Buddhas for instance.

The recitation can be loud or even with your own mind (silent recitation). The more single minded is your recitation, the better.

Some masters said that one can use the Ten Recitations Method if you have a busy life: choose 9 moments during the day (like: before getting out from bed, before breakfast, after breakfast, while going to work, etc) and during these moments say "Namo Amitabha Budda" with a very concentrated/focused mind. Be aware of each utterance. If possible, one of these moments should be more quiet than the others so you can say your vows (described before) and say loudly the recitation. The benefits are the same but since you are using your voice it will be more easy to get more concentration.

i used to read an article on how they incoporated the Noble Eightfold path with Pureland practice. here's what i found from Shin perspective.

1. Right Understanding

· I will profoundly entrust in the Great Compassion of the universe that is the inconceivable life force of all that was, is and will be. This Great Compassion is symbolized as Amida Buddha.

· I will deeply accept my inherent finite and foolish nature (bonpu), knowing that these natural limitations are the reason why all sentient beings and I are the prime objects of the embrace and never-ending nurturing activity of Great Compassion.

· I will totally entrust myself to the ceaseless nurturing activity of Amida (Primal Vow) that will naturally transform my state of ignorance, foolishness and suffering into the reality of awakening and infinite life.

· I will understand and embody interdependence, impermanence and non-self, and take heed to the reality of individual and collective karma.

· I will embody the Four Noble Truths knowing that life is at times a bumpy road but that life is fundamentally good.

First Noble Truth: life is dukkha (dis-ease, suffering)

Second Noble Truth: the cause is ego-centeredness and craving.

Third Noble Truth: life is hopeful and good; nirvana transcends dukkha.

· I will cultivate renunciation (no-harm): I abandon ill-will to others and myself, and I will forgive.

· I will study the dharma on a regular basis knowing that words and concepts are not reality but skilful instruments to transform my delusion and self-centeredness into clarity and faith.

3. Right Speech

· I will communicate words of kindness and simple truth. I will avoid speaking about others when they are not present.

· I will listen deeply to what others say in order to transform conflict into harmony.

· I will lovingly share the Shin Buddhist teachings with others if they are interested in the path.

· I will not just speak about Buddhism, I will truly live it.

4. Right Action

· I will consume with self control: this means eating, drinking and purchasing in moderation; I will use only what I and my family need.

· I refrain from mindless consumption and forgo using

products and services that unduly harm animals, plants,

humans and non-sentient life.

· I will practice generosity (dana), for the good of the individual and the community. I will be conscious of my self-centered tendencies: giving what others truly need and avoiding any notion of personal self-aggrandizement.

· I will practice the Buddha’s Five Ethical Precepts as guidelines to wholesome and joyful living. Buddhist ethics are based on non-harm and well-being to all beings and ourselves.

The Five Precepts are:

a. I will practice love, I refrain from killing.

b. I will practice generosity, I refrain from stealing.

c. I will practice contentment, I refrain from

sexual misconduct.

d. I will practice mindful speech, I refrain from harmful

speech.

e. I will practice mindful consumption; I refrain from

intoxicants & harmful substances that harm myself,

society and the environment.

5. Right Livelihood

· I will avoid professions and jobs that defile me and harm others or the environment.

· My work is not divorced from my spiritual practice. I will strive to practice this Noble Path in my profession, job, schooling or career.

· I will dedicate my labor for the health and vitality of my workplace and the world. During the course of my work day, I will consider whether my words and actions uplift or harm others and my environment.

· In the workplace, in order to avoid conflict; I will not carry the dharma on my sleeve. Instead, I will practice this Noble Path in humbleness and thanksgiving without others even knowing about it. This is known as practicing the dharma without form.

6. Right Effort

.

· By guarding the mind, I will nourish the wholesome and abandon the unwholesome in my thoughts, speech, actions and world. The unwholesome is such mental states like greed, hatred, cruelty, gossip, harsh speech, stealing, laziness etc. The wholesome is non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion, devotion and balance.

· I will regularly take refuge in the Three Jewels and always practice mindfulness as the means to cultivate positive intention and energy while developing and stabilizing the wholesome.

The Three Jewels are:

I take Refuge in the Buddha: the source of wisdom, faith & compassion.

I take Refuge in the Dharma: the truth, teachings and the Way.

I take Refuge in the Sangha: the community of practitioners and all beings.

· I will always entrust in the Great Compassion, symbolized as Amida Buddha, voice and profoundly live the Nembutsu, and practice deep hearing (monpo) as the natural Way to awaken to the Ultimate Dimension, which is my true nature.

The Nembutsu is:

Namu Amida Butsu (I entrust in Amida Buddha)

or Na Man Da Bu in its shorten (mantra-like) form

7. Right Mindfulness

· I will practice voicing the Nembutsu as a natural response of being mindful of Amida Buddha; this practice is known as Buddha Remembrance (Buddhanusmirti). This remembering is really being aware of the boundless life force of love, compassion and wisdom. This practice will naturally transform my forgetfulness and negative habit energies into awakening and gratitude, thereby I may experience the Ultimate Dimension as the Nembutsu - Namu Amida Butsu.

· By practicing deep hearing mindfulness (monpo), I can touch the phenomenal dimension very deeply and as a consequence naturally develop the insight into and faith in the Ultimate Dimension, symbolized as Amida Buddha. This insight/faith is known as shinjin and is directed not by my efforts but emerges from the depths of the Ultimate Dimension itself.

· I will practice clear and unbiased awareness of my thoughts and emotions. I will try not dwell in personal story telling and regret or anxiety and worry but instead I will inhabit this very present moment where true life is available to me and to my loved ones.

· I will look deeply into my thoughts, speech and actions to nourish the positive seeds of love, compassion and wisdom for myself, my society and the world.

8. Right Concentration

· I will fully commit myself to manifest my inner potential which is Buddhahood by living the Nembutsu and this Noble Path; I do so for the sake of all sentient and non-sentient beings throughout the cosmos.

· I will meditate on a regular basis in order to cultivate mindfulness and insight. Learning to clearly see things as-they-are will grant me the insight and faith to do the right things that nourish a happier life and help make our world a better place to live for all of its inhabitants.

· I will single-mindedly practice this Noble Path everyday and moment. I will attend a local sangha on a regular basis to learn more about the dharma, and get involved with social and/or environmental action in order to actualize my bodhisattva mission.

Regards "mindfulness" and "reciting", considering that both of these are the very same term - 念 nian, making a hard distinction between the two may not be that easy. So-called "recitation" is itself "being mindful" of the Buddha.

Sure but wasn't there a lore on how Honen used to do the Nembutsu 60,000 times a day, setting himself as an example of practice for all? I will give my hat to him for that feat if it was true...

It's true but he was also a fully ordained monk. He always told his diverse group of followers to recite as much as one is able to but to also set a fixed number in order to ward off against laziness. The key is consistency.

There are no requirements in Buddhism. People do whatever they think is best for them, and accordingly they will get the results. You don't have to go to retreats in order to attain birth. But it is good if you have the willing and ability to separate a longer time for buddha-remembrance.

"There is no such thing as the real mind. Ridding yourself of delusion: that's the real mind."(Sheng-yen: Getting the Buddha Mind, p 73)